8 Benefits of Sleeping with Pillow Between Legs [2025 Updated]

MAY 08, 2025

636 views , 6 mins read

Are you tossing and turning at night, struggling to fall asleep? Have you tried various sleeping positions without being able to drift off quickly, and even wake up feeling sore all over? There's a simple trick that can help you fall asleep faster – sleeping with pillow between legs.

In this article, we will explain why this method can help you sleep better and what its benefits are. Keep reading to learn more!

In this article

1. 8 Benefits of Sleeping with a Pillow Between Your Legs 2. How to Correctly Place a Pillow Between Your Knees? 3. How to Choose a Leg Pillow? 4. FAQs about Pillow Between Legs

8 Benefits of Sleeping with a Pillow Between Your Legs

Do you often experience lower back pain at night but don't want to see a doctor? A knee pillow might help you sleep more comfortably. Here are the potential benefits of using a leg pillow.

1. Improved Spinal Alignment
Placing a pillow between your legs when you sleep on your side helps keep your spine in a neutral position. This reduces the risk of misalignment, which can cause back pain and discomfort.

2. Reduces Lower Back Pain
By maintaining proper alignment of the hips and pelvis, a pillow can relieve pressure on your lower back, helping to prevent or alleviate back pain, especially for side sleepers.

3 Relieves Hip and Knee Pain
According to a survey, approximately 3.7 million people (15%) in Australia suffer from arthritis (excluding gout), and 49% of people aged 75 and over are affected by arthritis. If you experience persistent discomfort in your hips and knees, it is important to consult a doctor or healthcare professional immediately.
For mild discomfort and pain, you can try using a leg pillow or knee pillow to alleviate pressure on the joints.

4 Improves Blood Circulation
If you wake up with a tingling sensation, numbness, or swelling in your limbs, it may be a sign of poor circulation. Elevating your legs above the level of your heart can help enhance blood flow overnight and prevent conditions like varicose veins. Placing a wedge pillow between your legs or under your knees is especially effective in promoting better circulation while you sleep.

5 Providing Support for Pregnant Women
During pregnancy, the growing belly puts extra pressure on the lower back, making it difficult to sleep comfortably at night. New research shows that side sleeping, starting at 28 weeks of pregnancy, can reduce the risk of stillbirth by half compared to sleeping on your back. In addition, pregnancy often brings discomfort such as restless leg syndrome , lower back pain, and knee joint pain. Pregnant women can try placing a pillow between their legs while side sleeping to alleviate discomfort, or use a long body pillow to support the arms and legs, making it easier to fall asleep.
If necessary, an ergonomic memory foam mattress can also be beneficial.

6 Relieving Muscle Cramps
Approximately one-third of adults worldwide experience nighttime calf muscle cramps, and improper sleeping positions can make these cramps worse. Placing a pillow between your legs helps relax the calf muscles, promoting a more comfortable sleep and reducing the likelihood of cramps during the night.

7. Relieving Sciatica Pain
If you suffer from a herniated disc or other forms of sciatica, using a leg pillow at night may help alleviate pain by providing more comfortable support for your pelvis and lower back.

8 Improving Overall Sleep Quality
Placing a soft, comfortable pillow between your legs can help reduce tension, improve spinal alignment, and relieve pressure on muscles and joints. This simple adjustment can make it easier to fall asleep faster and enjoy a more restful night.

How to Correctly Place a Pillow Between Your Knees?

We’ve briefly covered the benefits of placing a pillow between your legs, now let’s discuss how to correctly place a pillow between your legs while sleeping:

For Back Sleepers:

Step 1: Lie flat on your back.

Step 2: Slightly bend your knees.

Step 3: Place the pillow under your knees to provide support and allow your knees to bend slightly, helping you rest comfortably.

For Side Sleepers:

Step 1: Lie on your side with your knees slightly bent.

Step 2: Place a pillow that your knees to support your upper leg and keep your hips aligned.

Step 3: Adjust the pillow to ensure comfort and proper alignment of your spine and hips.

How to Choose a Leg Pillow?

1 Pillow Material
When looking for the ideal leg pillow, it's important to choose one with a soft yet supportive filling. The most common materials for leg pillows are memory foam and down feathers. Memory foam provides better support and durability, while down feather pillows are lighter, softer, and offer a more plush comfort. Generally, down feather pillows tend to be more expensive than memory foam pillows.

2 Firmness
If the pillow you choose is too soft, it won’t provide adequate lift for your legs or separate your knees properly. However, it should still offer comfort. Look for a leg pillow that strikes a good balance between support and softness.
For a perfect combination of both, the Newentor adjustable memory foam pillow uses a 3-layer memory foam cushion, designed to provide both better support and softness, so you can have the best of both worlds.

3 Cooling Technology

For those who tend to overheat while sleeping, a breathable and cooling leg pillow can significantly improve sleep quality. Fortunately, the Newentor Cooling Memory Foam Pillow features a removable cooling modal fiber cover equipped with UltraDry technology, which quickly wicks away moisture, ensuring a comfortable, cool, and dry sleep environment. Its unique 3D structure helps dissipate heat and moisture from the pillow surface, making it perfect for hot sleepers.

If you sweat heavily at night, you might also need a cooling mattress topper to complement your pillow. The Newentor Cooling Mattress Topper uses OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified, antibacterial, dust-mite resistant, and breathable cooling fabric, providing a cloud-like cooling and comfort experience. The advanced Greenflow Filter™ technology offers excellent moisture-wicking and quick-drying properties, keeping the interior dry and breathable while effectively preventing the growth of mites and bacteria.

4 Pillow Shape

Leg and knee pillows come in different shapes and sizes. While a standard pillow can work well, a specialized one might offer better support based on your body shape and preferred sleeping position.

For Back Sleepers: A curved pillow that fits comfortably under the knees may be a great choice.

For Side Sleepers: A contoured knee pillow or a body pillow can help keep your spine aligned during sleep.

FAQs about Pillow Between Legs

Does a pillow between legs help?

Yes, especially for side sleepers, placing a pillow between the legs helps with spinal alignment and reduces pressure on the hips and lower back.

What kind of pillow is best for between legs?

A memory foam or knee pillow is perfect as it provides the right balance of support and comfort.

The ideal shape will vary depending on your sleeping position and personal preferences.

Can sleeping with a pillow between your legs help you grow?

Sleeping with a pillow between your legs is unlikely to directly affect your growth.

Growth primarily depends on genetics, nutrition, and factors like sleep quality and overall health during childhood and adolescence.

However, using a pillow between your legs can improve sleep posture, which may promote better sleep quality.

Good quality sleep is important for overall health and growth, especially in growing children and teens.

So, while it won’t directly make you grow taller, sleeping comfortably and getting proper rest can support your body's natural growth processes.

Botton Lines

In conclusion, placing a pillow between your legs can significantly improve your sleep quality by promoting proper spinal alignment, reducing pressure on your hips and lower back, and enhancing comfort.

This simple adjustment helps side sleepers maintain a restful position throughout the night, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up without pain.

If you're looking for a pillow that offers both support and comfort, we recommend the Newentor Pillow. Its ergonomic design and memory foam provide optimal support, ensuring you wake up refreshed and pain-free. Try it and experience the difference!

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